Good luck with that. Competent is subjective. What is compentent to one person could be incompetent to another. You need something objecttive to measure against.

Agreed, which is why ASE, for all it's issues, is about the only nationwide certification setup that'll be relevant. A judge isn't interested in anecdotal "I am competent, no you're not" arguments. All that will matter is that some third party "recognized" authority says you are, and for all intents and purposes that is ASE.

Because competent can be argued both ways, and if one says they are competent, they have to prove it, and one says you are not they have to prove it. Judge doesn't care, he only cares who proves their point by 51%. Of course its subjective, that is the point. If you want 100%, don't buy or sell anything.

Read the ASE test thread, doesn't sound like it proves anything to me.

Sounds like a scene in "Idiocracy":

Lawyer: "are you a competent installer?"
Witness: "I have an ASE certification"
lawyer: "Did you install the plaintiffs A arm upside down?"
Witness: "I have an ASE certification"

I wonder if being an A&P would qualify me as competent? Need to work 30 months as an apprentice and 6 exams before getting my license to learn...